you couldn’t make this shit up
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The million MAGA muppet march
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, November 16th, 2020 - 37 comments
America is in some trouble. Covid19 is surging. The third wave is hitting hard. Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is. And a group of Americans have been persuaded that Trump has had the election stolen off him.
Blood sucking leeches blame young for blood supply crisis
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 118 comments
The Property Investor Federation’s executive officer has expressed the opinion that every time a first home buyer buys a house it makes the housing crisis worse.
Aotearoa New Zealand is a hell hole paradise dystopian democracy
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, October 29th, 2020 - 55 comments
Fox News has seized upon a four month old video of Jacinda Ardern to suggest that New Zealand has a terrifying new response to the disease and are throwing people into quarantine camps.
The Trump Covid game
Written By: - Date published: 2:17 pm, October 6th, 2020 - 10 comments
Let’s imagine a scenario where you are the President of the United States and it is in the middle of a pandemic. You then contract the virus yourself. How would you rate compared to Donald Trump?
Paul Goldsmith should stop digging
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, October 3rd, 2020 - 80 comments
Paul Goldsmith has shown yet again his complete inability to understand how Government finances work by claiming there is a $10 billion dollar hole in Labour’s fiscal plan where there is none.
National’s alternative budget doesn’t add up
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, September 26th, 2020 - 23 comments
If ever you needed a symbol of National’s current plight it is the handling of the release of its alternative budget. It has been a complete and utter shambles. A clusterf&*k of epic proportions. Because if there is one part of National’s reputation that needs to be defended at all costs it is the perception that they are competent financial managers and making multiple billion dollar mistakes in your alternative budget at election time is the one thing over all else that will hurt that part of your reputation.
Paora Goldsmith is National’s $4 billion dollar man
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, September 20th, 2020 - 116 comments
Paul Goldsmith has blighted National’s campaign launch by making a $4 billion dollar mistake in National’s budget costings.
What did Brownlee know about Southern Response’s misleading and deceptive conduct?
Written By: - Date published: 4:37 pm, September 8th, 2020 - 27 comments
The Court of Appeal has ruled that Southern Response has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and has potentially short changed thousands of Cantabrians hundreds of millions of dollars.
National’s latest deception
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, August 26th, 2020 - 98 comments
National’s social media team has published an edited version of a response to a written question by Chris Hipkins to suggest that returning kiwis in quarantine were not subject to compulsory testing, when the reality is anyone refusing a test can be held for up to 26 days following the fortnight stay.
What does Judith do about Gerry?
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, August 19th, 2020 - 113 comments
Gerry Brownlee has chosen to not only repeat his conspiracy theories involving Ashley Bloomfield but also claim that the media is against National. Both claims have no factual foundation.
The strange tale of the Auckland Central selection and Merv from Manurewa
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, August 11th, 2020 - 57 comments
News has emerged that a senior National Party figure rang talkback radio and made derogatory comments about National’s only Sri Lankan candidate in an apparent attempt to reduce her chance of being selected as National’s Auckland Central candidate.
IT doESN’t aDD up
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, August 10th, 2020 - 57 comments
For a few days now Gerry Brownlee has been peddling this dog whistle conspiracy campaign that the Government is hiding bad news about Covid and we should all be really concerned.
National’s Auckland Central problem
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, August 3rd, 2020 - 45 comments
National is facing another PR disaster with reports of an increasingly hostile Auckland Central candidate selection process and with allegations that National’s head office has misapplied the party’s constitution.
The Heron Report
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 31st, 2020 - 35 comments
The Heron Report has been released and reinforces the public perception that this was a cynical misuse of confidential information by National for political purposes and a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
National’s Internal Polling Leaked
Written By: - Date published: 6:46 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 40 comments
Yet another leak from Judith Collins’ Strong Team™. This time it’s their own polling … and it’s grim news.
How do you tell when Judith is saying something that is not true?
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 56 comments
Judith Collins has backed away from telling a mistruth about escape statistics during her time as Minister of Corrections by claiming that her eyebrow was raised and this is evidence that what she was saying was a joke.
Winston Peters Names Alleged Super Leaker
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, July 22nd, 2020 - 87 comments
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
Strong team?
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 21st, 2020 - 267 comments
Earlier this year National boasted that it had a strong team. But this was before two coups and the loss of seven MPs in the past few weeks, the latest for sending indecent material to a teenager which the leader initially described as a case involving mental health concerns.
Of course it’s dirty politics
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, July 13th, 2020 - 39 comments
National’s latest attempted spin is to try and suggest that last week’s clusterfuck of rolling events did not involve in any way the slightest trace of dirty politics. How wrong they are.
Did any National MP not receive confidential information from Michelle Boag?
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, July 10th, 2020 - 128 comments
Michael Woodhouse has admitted that he received confidential information from Michelle Boag a couple of weeks before he said that it was “unconscionable and unacceptable” that the leaks were happening.
Some Random impertinent questions about Michelle Boag’s access to confidential medical information
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, July 9th, 2020 - 81 comments
Westpac Helicopter Trust’s claim that it had not breached privacy rights of Covid sufferers raises some serious questions about why Michelle Boag was provided with sensitive information. And who she has provided it to.
The many and varied Covid reckons of Mike Hosking
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 30th, 2020 - 49 comments
A review of recent opinion pieces by Mike Hosking shows that he has adopted a series of contradictory positions with the one common feature that they are critical of the Government’s actions.
Paora Goldsmith in fake news scandal
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, June 29th, 2020 - 33 comments
Paora Goldsmith has shown either that he is lacking in basic numeracy and literacy skills or that he is prepared to tell porkies for political advantage.
Protesters, Anarchists, Agitators and Lowlifes
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, June 21st, 2020 - 96 comments
Donald Trump has planned to hold a political rally on the day used to celebrate the abolition of slavery at a place where one of the worst examples of white brutality on black people using advertising material containing nazi symbols. All in the middle of a global pandemic.
Todd Muller and the strange tale of the Leader’s Safe
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, June 19th, 2020 - 22 comments
The Herald has reported that Todd Muller’s staff used a safe cracker to open up a safe previously used by Simon Bridges, even though they had the access codes.
Todd’s Odd Distress Signal
Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, June 14th, 2020 - 64 comments
How odd of Todd! A condescending gesture turns into a cry for help.
More Skripal bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 pm, June 9th, 2020 - 37 comments
Skripal’s relatives don’t believe it, Jacinda Ardern doesn’t believe it, Paul Buchanan doesn’t believe it, and I never believed it. But a story planted in the UK Sunday Times that the Skripals are here lets our media rerun the assassination attempt that failed, even though the most deadliest poison in the world was involved. Stuff website has a British Minister from Theresa May’s time rerunning the old lies,as does the NZ Herald. Fits in nicely with the SIS anti-Russian history.
Bunker boy Trump finally builds that wall
Written By: - Date published: 1:23 pm, June 5th, 2020 - 23 comments
This week Donald Trump has hid in a bunker, used tear gas to move protestors away from a church so that he could have a photo opportunity with a bible, and has started to build his much vaunted wall. Although it is around the White House and not on the Mexican border.
New leadership same old tactics
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 27th, 2020 - 24 comments
National has released a social media ad suggesting that New Zealand’s per head of population Government debt figure will be worse than Greece’s by 2014. But the data used presumes the effects of Covid 19 in New Zealand’s figure but no effects of Covid 19 in Greece’s figure.
Ko Paora Goldsmith tenei
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 pm, May 26th, 2020 - 33 comments
National’s new brains trust has not had a great day today. They responded to claims that their front bench looked awfully white and had no Tangata Whenua by claiming that Paora Goldsmith was from Ngāti Porou. The only trouble was that he wasn’t.
Two Tier. Bull. Shit.
Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, May 25th, 2020 - 217 comments
I thought we were “in this together” or some such?
- Women continue to make up over 50 per cent on public sector boards
Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 per cent or above for the fourth consecutive year, with women holding 53.9 per cent of public sector board roles, Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston says. “This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done. To ...2 weeks ago - Government supporting Māori business successThe Coalition Government is supporting Māori to boost development and the Māori economy through investment in projects that benefit the regions, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “As the Regional Development Minister, I am focused on supporting Māori to succeed. The Provincial Growth Fund ...2 weeks ago
- Better solutions for earthquake-prone buildingsBuilding and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced that the review into better managing the risks of earthquake-prone buildings has commenced. “The terms of reference published today demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring we get the balance right between public safety and costs to building owners,” Mr Penk says. “The Government ...3 weeks ago
- Prime Minister wraps up visit to JapanPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has just finished a successful three-day visit to Japan, where he strengthened political relationships and boosted business links. Mr Luxon’s visit culminated in a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio followed by a state dinner. “It was important for me to meet Prime Minister Kishida in person ...3 weeks ago
- Major business deals signed on PM’s Japan tripSignificant business deals have been closed during the visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Japan this week, including in the areas of space, renewable energy and investment. “Commercial deals like this demonstrate that we don’t just export high-quality agricultural products to Japan, but also our world-class technology, expertise, and ...3 weeks ago
- Strategic Security speech, TokyoMinasan, konnichiwa, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today and thank you to our friends at the Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies and NEC for making this event possible today. It gives me great pleasure to be here today, speaking with ...3 weeks ago
- National Infrastructure Pipeline worth over $120 billionThe National Infrastructure Pipeline, which provides a national view of current or planned infrastructure projects, from roads, to water infrastructure, to schools, and more, has climbed above $120 billion, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. “Our Government is investing a record amount in modern infrastructure that Kiwis can rely on as ...3 weeks ago
- Making it easier to build infrastructureThe Government is modernising the Public Works Act to make it easier to build infrastructure, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk announced today. An independent panel will undertake an eight-week review of the Act and advise on common sense changes to enable large scale public works to be built faster and ...3 weeks ago
- NZ enhances North Korea sanctions monitoringNew Zealand will enhance its defence contributions to monitoring violations of sanctions against North Korea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. The enhancement will see the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) increase its contributions to North Korea sanctions monitoring, operating out of Japan. “This increase reflects the importance New Zealand ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to Safeguard National Health and Safety ConferenceGood afternoon everyone. It’s great to be with you all today before we wrap up Day One of the annual Safeguard National Health and Safety Conference. Thank you to the organisers and sponsors of this conference, for the chance to talk to you about the upcoming health and safety consultation. ...3 weeks ago
- Ōtaki to north of Levin alliance agreements signedTransport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone for the Ōtaki to north of Levin Road of National Significance (RoNS), following the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) signing interim alliance agreements with two design and construction teams who will develop and ultimately build the new expressway.“The Government’s priority for transport ...3 weeks ago
- Improvements to stopping Digital Child ExploitationThe Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is making a significant upgrade to their Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System, which blocks access to websites known to host child sexual abuse material, says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “The Department will incorporate the up-to-date lists of websites hosting child sexual ...3 weeks ago
- New vaccine research aims to combat prevalent bovine diseaseA vaccine to prevent an infectious disease that costs New Zealand cattle farmers more than $190 million each year could radically improve the health of our cows and boost on-farm productivity, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says. The Ministry for Primary Industries is backing a project that aims to develop ...3 weeks ago
- Coastwatchers Finally Honoured At Poignant Government House Ceremony
Thirty civilian coastwatchers who provided invaluable - and until now unrecognised - service during the Second World War as the eyes and ears for the Allied effort in the Pacific, have received a long-awaited act of recognition at Government House ...4 days ago - Australia is pushing big tech to ‘protect kids from porn’. What can they actually do?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne Jelena Stanojkovic/Shutterstock Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has announced she’s given the major tech platforms six months to develop enforceable codes for protecting children from online pornography ...4 days ago - Minister announces new Kāinga Ora board, lays out 'expectations'
Just two members of the previous board will be left, with Chris Bishop demanding a plan to "materially reduce operating losses". ...4 days ago - Free cervical screening for at-risk women will continue, Health Minister announcesWomen who are unscreened or under-screened are at greater risk of developing cervical cancer, the government says. ...4 days ago
- Tests for students from first year of school announcedFrom next year, children will start being tested after just 20 weeks of schooling, the PM and education minister say. ...4 days ago
- Dunedin’s Kmart is back from the dead
For four long years, Dunedin has been without a Kmart. Hera Lindsay Bird marks its return. When the Meridian Mall Kmart closed back in 2020, citing earthquake-strengthening requirements, a shadow fell across the city. It was a grim time for Dunedin. Two local tour guides even went so far as ...4 days ago - Urgent review launched into Wairoa flood, government boosts fundingThe government will lead an urgent review into the regional council's management of the river, which the mayor believes caused the flooding. ...4 days ago
- Watch Live: Tests for students from first year of school announcedFrom next year, children will start being tested after just 20 weeks of schooling, the PM and education minister say. ...4 days ago
- How we fight: Lessons from the Love LabHow are we supposed to know how to ‘do’ conflict with people we care about? Has a single one of us been taught a healthy way to do it? In 1986, psychologist John M. Gottman built an apartment laboratory at the University of Washington that was later dubbed the “Love ...4 days ago
- Renting in Auckland sucks, but it doesn’t have toNew solutions can turn renting from a sickness-inducing experience into a mana-enhancing one. A brand new community exclusively for renters next to Sylvia Park in the vibrant suburb of Mount Wellington aims to usher in a new, better renting experience in our nation’s biggest city. Once I left the dry ...4 days ago
- AJP Advocates For Pound Transparency: Pawsitive Change Campaign Honours BennyHeartbreaking Story Sparks the Pawsitive Campaign: A Call for Urgent Reform in Dog Welfare ...4 days ago
- Christopher Luxon to visit United States, attend NATO summitAt the NATO summit, Luxon will join counterparts from Australia, Japan and Korea in a meeting of the Indo-Pacific Four. ...4 days ago
- Conservatives face a bloodbath at July’s UK election. What are the key issues for voters – and w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Manwaring, Associate Professor, Politics and Public Policy, Flinders University I T S/Shutterstock The United Kingdom heads to the polls on July 4, and the widely expected outcome is a defeat for the British Conservative Party after 14 years in power. ...4 days ago
- Should we ditch big exam halls? Our research shows how high ceilings are associated with a lower sco...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isabella Bower, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of South Australia Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, 1984. Museums Victoria, CC BY Can you remember your last in-person exam? You’re waiting outside the venue with your identification, pens and back-up pens. Everyone is nervously looking at ...4 days ago
- Western Sydney’s childcare ‘desert’ locks women out of the workforce. Universal childcare coul...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angela Smith, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Western Sydney University Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Momentum is growing for the Australian government to provide universal early childhood education and care – free or very-low-cost childcare for all families. Access to quality, affordable childcare can help parents join ...4 days ago
- ‘Horrible’: Nurses describe work conditions amid staffing debateLast July it was determined the country’s public health service was in need of 4,800 more nurses. In June, Te Whatu Ora gave an update, saying the hospitals are 2,000 nurses ‘ahead’. Nurses and their union disagree. “I used to leave work and sit in my car and just sob ...4 days ago
- Mental health services are overloaded. We should pay them a bonus to improve your careSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University vectorfusionart/Shutterstock Australia’s mental health-care system is struggling to cope with the demand. But more money won’t necessarily mean everyone gets the care they need. As we outline ...4 days ago
- ‘I pretty much already know what Australia’s like’: what Aussie teenagers told us about not wa...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Macrossan, Lecturer in Screen Media, University of the Sunshine Coast Ground Picture/Shutterstock Australian teenagers have grown up with abundant choices in digital screen entertainment including social media, gaming and streaming video. However, the viewing habits of Australian teens are often ...4 days ago
- Rising risks of climate disasters mean some communities will need to move – we need a national con...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roslyn Prinsley, Head, Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Cloudcatcher Media, Shutterstock Many Australians live in areas increasingly exposed to climate change and associated extreme weather such as floods, fires, coastal erosion, cyclones and extreme heat. If we wait for disasters to ...4 days ago
- Banning social media for under-16s won’t help – teaching digital media literacy willSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa L. Gould, Senior Lecturer in Critical Media Studies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The astounding rise in social media use in the past few years is seeing policy responses come to a head, both internationally and in Aotearoa New ...4 days ago
- Boot camp policy will 'punish trauma' – abuse survivorThe government's boot camp policy will not work and only further punish those suffering trauma, an advocate for abuse survivors says. ...4 days ago
- Labour kickstarts bid to win back AucklandThe party admits Super City residents did not feel it was listening to them ahead of last year's election. ...4 days ago
- A personal trip inside Lake Alice
*Warning: this article contains details of sexual and physical abuse of children It was Christmas Day more than 14 years ago when Aaron Smale received a phone call from a woman claiming to be his long-lost sibling. “I didn’t recognise her voice. She says ‘Hi I’m Tanya and I ...4 days ago - An unexpected (and overdue) helping hand for the mediaIn today’s extract from The Bulletin by Stewart Sowman-Lund: Why the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill has split the coalition. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A surprise announcement Relief for ...4 days ago
- 'Terrible precedent' – Expert concerns about Fair Digital News Bargaining BillA media lecturer and campaigner says the Australian model is a "terrible precedent" to follow. ...5 days ago
- How private is your work chat, really?Two ministry workers just had their work chat made public - Could it happen to you? ...5 days ago
- AI for school tutoring, instant medical analysis part of NZ's future – Judith CollinsArtificial Intelligence has a big future with tasks like helping kids to learn and assessing medical results, says Cabinet Minister Judith Collins. ...5 days ago
- Multi-million dollar fund to pay to relocate cyclone-wrecked marae, homes on Māori landNo plans for relocation are set in stone yet, and eight months after council buyouts of other homes began, marae representatives say the process has been too slow. ...5 days ago
- The rust-bucket powder keg that could spark a China-US conflictA view from the Philippines on heightened disputes in the South China Sea and risks of the country getting caught up in a great powers battle. Perched precariously, cinematically, on shallow ground in the South China Sea – or West Philippine Sea – is the second world war ship BRP ...5 days ago
- An abrupt U-turn from National, a brave new world for news in New ZealandFive crucial questions about an epochal day for news media in Aotearoa, asked and answered by Duncan Greive. What just happened? Yesterday might just prove one of the most momentous days in the history of news media in New Zealand. A little after 9am, National switched from a policy of ...5 days ago
- Kiwi salmon farmers go against the flowAs other countries restrict open-ocean salmon farming, NZ feels secure in ‘turbocharging’ the industry The post Kiwi salmon farmers go against the flow appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Public-private sector rift slowing gender pay gapA decade of surveying NZ’s highest businesspeople shows improvement for women, but roadblocks remain The post Public-private sector rift slowing gender pay gap appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 3 JulyThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 3 July appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Where is she now? Yvonne WilleringIt’s almost 70 years since Yvonne Willering left the Netherlands with her family, landing in New Zealand on a ship stricken with typhoid. She’s played netball for New Zealand, coached the Silver Ferns, and received an impressive list of national accolades recognising all she’s done for the sport. And yet ...5 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 3 JulyLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 3 July appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Don’t be afraid of AI, it’s just like possums on the roofComment: The more we get a handle on what it is the more it becomes less scary and more in our control The post Don’t be afraid of AI, it’s just like possums on the roof appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand’s unwelcome signThe number of displaced people around the world keeps going up and up – it’s nearly doubled in the past decade. And yet New Zealand’s contribution towards turning the dire numbers around is still minimal. We’re not doing our bit, according to anyone with skin in the game – and ...5 days ago
- UK Tories fend off challenges both left and rightOpinion: It was with a strong sense of déjà vu that I watched Rishi Sunak announce that if re-elected, he would introduce compulsory national service for all 18-year-olds. I remember an equally embattled former National Party Prime Minister Jenny Shipley making the same outlandish promise during the 1999 election campaign. ...5 days ago
- Seymour hints at more agreeing to disagree with coalition partnersThe coalition has weathered two public disagreements in one week, now David Seymour says more ‘agree to disagrees’ may be on the horizon The post Seymour hints at more agreeing to disagree with coalition partners appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Living wage employers stand by stance as business sentiment wanesBusinesses say paying a living wage is possible, even in current tough economic conditions The post Living wage employers stand by stance as business sentiment wanes appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- ‘More is always more’: Everything That Moves, Moves Through Another, reviewedA new anthology that gathers the experiences of mixed-heritage creatives in Aotearoa expands on what’s come before and stirs a hunger for more. Everything That Moves, Moves Through Another is an anthology of work by mixed-heritage creatives across Aotearoa, edited by Rat World founder Jennifer Cheuk, and published by underground ...5 days ago
- Coalition government would bring in divestiture power to deal with recalcitrant supermarketsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Nationals have had a major win in having the opposition commit to divestiture legislation as a weapon of last resort against supermarkets guilty of uncompetitive behaviour. Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced the policy at ...5 days ago
- When it comes to power, solar is about to leave nuclear and everything else in the shadeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University bombermoon/Shuttterstock Opposition leader Peter Dutton might have been hoping for an endorsement from economists for his plan to take Australian nuclear. He shouldn’t expect one from The Economist. ...5 days ago
- The Traitors NZ power rankings: A hard act to swallowTara Ward ranks a murderously good first week on The Traitors NZ. Welcome, my murderous little cherubs, to what promises to be a humdinger season of The Traitors NZ. Last year’s season looks like child’s play compared to season two, with its spookier setting, complex challenges and absolute cracker of ...5 days ago
- New study shows mysterious solar particle blasts can devastate the ozone layer, bathing Earth in rad...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Cooper, Distinguished Professor, Charles Sturt University Aurora over green hills near Thun, Switzerland. Julien Anet The remarkable aurora in early May this year demonstrated the power that solar storms can emit as radiation, but occasionally the Sun does something far more ...5 days ago
- Will digital currencies become the norm as the world moves towards a cashless society?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra TierneyMJ/Shutterstock More than 90% of the world’s central banks are looking at introducing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), to complement existing banknotes. What is a central ...5 days ago
- If Meta bans news in Australia, what will happen? Canada’s experience is tellingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Axel Bruns, Professor, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Thx4Stock team/Shutterstock At a parliamentary hearing late last week, Meta once again suggested it could ban links to news on Facebook and Instagram in Australia. This would repeat the ban ...5 days ago
- Just 15 centimetres of water can float a car – but we are failing to educate drivers about the dan...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney Scherbinator, Shutterstock Every year in Australia, people driving into floodwaters drown and many more are rescued. Do you know what to do when ...5 days ago
- First an autism diagnosis then a clinician’s office – how the evidence supports a different appr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Whitehouse, Bennett Chair of Autism, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia Orson Elitok/Shutterstock Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Bill Shorten, has proposed a number of policy changes to the scheme. It is hoped these will ...5 days ago
- The government's methane review: Nine questions with Climate Minister Simon WattsSimon Watts says the methane review will "timebox" the contentious issue and help farmers move on with lowering their climate impact. ...5 days ago
- ‘Not just as we are, but as we have been and as we will be’: the time-warping brilliance of Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor Visual Communication, University of Technology Sydney Julie Rrap, Disclosures: A Photographic Construct (detail), 1982, installation view. Julie Rrap: Past Continuous, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2024, black and white archival prints, colour cibachrome prints, Museum of Contemporary Art, ...5 days ago
- Children's Minister Karen Chhour says Oranga Tamariki's legal difficulties an 'operat...The children's minister's office says the inability of social workers to handle their statutory legal duties is an "operational matter". ...5 days ago
- Government scales back free driver's licence re-sits over wait timesThe government is cracking down on waitlists for driver's licences by scaling back the eligibility for free re-sits. ...5 days ago
- With its nuclear energy policy, Peter Dutton seems to have forgotten the Liberal Party’s core beli...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University When Robert Menzies was out of office in 1943, in between prime ministerships, he was thinking about the future of non-Labor politics in wartime Australia. He read Edmund Burke’s book Thought on the ...5 days ago
- Ministers will shake the Facebook and Google money tree for NZ mediaA year ago, a law to eke money out of global platforms to prop up local media firms was viewed as a “shakedown” by National, but now it is “something worth doing”. Political changes of heart don’t come much starker than the party’s new stance over the Labour-introduced Fair Digital ...5 days ago
- Give way: 5 reasons why the government should slow down on raising speed limitsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Kingham, Professor of Human Geography, University of Canterbury georgeclerk/Getty Images Only last year, all the talk was about lowering speed limits to save lives as part of the previous Labour government’s Road to Zero policy. Even motoring advocacy group ...5 days ago
- The Government Is Systematically Destroying RailTRAC believes that the Government’s decisions regarding non-rail enabled ferries is a direct attack on the New Zealand railway system and is similar to the previous attack on the Gisborne and Taranaki regions. ...5 days ago
- Can you drink your fruit and vegetables? How does juice compare to the whole food?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Beckett, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Innovation – School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney Darina Belonogova/Pexels Do you struggle to eat your fruits and vegetables? You are not alone. Less than 5% of Australians eat the recommended serves ...5 days ago
- Urgency Needed In Replacing RMAFederated Farmers strongly believes replacing the RMA is the most meaningful long-term economic reform this Government could deliver. ...5 days ago
- Samoa Citizenship Bill: 'Hell' Easier To Reach Than NZ, Says Ex-Samoan PM At Public Hearin...Samoa's former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi says it is easier for his people to get to "hell" than to come to New Zealand. ...5 days ago
- If this bill passes as is, your landlord could evict you for the following reasonsSubmissions on the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, which would reinstate no-cause evictions, close tomorrow. While the housing minister says it’s a ‘pro-tenant’ move, renters’ advocates disagree. If passed, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill would allow landlords to give tenants 90-day termination-of-lease notices for periodic tenancies if: They didn’t like ...5 days ago
- Fewer term-time holidays as parents heed warning in truancy crackdownParents of school-aged children are choosing not to take their children out of school to travel, new data shows. ...5 days ago
- Which one of you told Lorde she walked like a bitch? Alex Casey goes down the rabbit hole in an attempt to find the local bully who uttered one of the defining pop culture phrases of 2024. There’s an Instagram reel I cannot stop watching of Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan stomping around the suburbs to Charli XCX’s ‘girl, so confusing’ ...5 days ago
- Watch live: Coalition to press ahead with Fair Digital News Bargaining BillThe coalition is pushing on with a law to make tech giants pay for news, but not all its member parties are happy. ...5 days ago
- Government reveals updated $55m contestable research fundJudith Collins says the fund is crucial for rebuilding the economy. ...5 days ago
- Appeal Dismissed In Fraud Conviction For Charity BossThe Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has welcomed a decision by the High Court to dismiss an appeal by the former head of a government funded charity found guilty of stealing funds from the charity she helped establish. ...5 days ago
- Polling Highlights Govt Swimming Against Current Of Public Opinion On Fresh WaterGreenpeace Aotearoa is challenging the Government’s mandate to remove freshwater protections, as independent polling reveals the vast majority of National Party voters are concerned about freshwater quality. ...5 days ago
- Why Section 7AA works just as intendedOpinion: Debates about the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, focused on Treaty of Waitangi partnerships and disparity reduction in the child protection system, continue unabated. Smoke and mirrors claims about the effect of the repeal are being used to propel a narrative of child harm, but ...5 days ago
- Digital news Bill backing a big shift by governmentAnalysis: The coalition government has spent much of its first months in power reversing initiatives put in place by the former regime. But not this time. ...5 days ago
- Second Sentencing For Involvement In Brazilian Migrant Sex SchemeMaristela De Souza, a Brazilian woman, has been sentenced to 10 months home detention after being charged, along with co-defendant Michael James Sloan, with aiding and abetting individuals to breach conditions of their visas. ...5 days ago
- Rainbow communities need protecting – and police are failing themAfter a spate of rainbow event cancellations, Jennifer Shields asks for a little more security for her communities. It’s been a rough few years for rainbow communities across Aotearoa – we’re now 10 years on from the “transgender tipping point” of May 2014, when Time magazine, with Laverne Cox on ...5 days ago
- What to know about US Supreme Court immunity ruling in Trump's 2020 election interference caseAnalysis: The ruling makes it all but certain that the Republican will not face trial in Washington ahead of the November election. ...5 days ago
- Coalition to press ahead with Fair Digital News Bargaining BillThe coalition is pushing on with a law to make tech giants pay for news, but not everyone in government is happy. ...5 days ago
- New Government Locks In Labour’s Digital Shakedown“If mainstream media can’t stand on it’s own two feet, it is because they are out of touch with New Zealanders. Study after study shows people just don’t trust them anymore, and the answer to that isn’t bailing out the same old tired outfits. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Struggles With Human Trafficking: 2024 Report Keeps Country At Tier 2 For Fourth YearAotearoa New Zealand has just been ranked at Tier 2 in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report by the U.S. Department of State, marking the fourth consecutive year the country has not fully met the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking. ...5 days ago
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